Why are grasslands and wetlands disappearing so fast?

Rapid loss of open ecosystems and why it matters

A 15‑year global analysis found that the conversion of grasslands and wetlands is happening at almost four times the rate of forest loss. The primary driver identified in the study is agricultural expansion: both cropland and pasture are replacing these ecosystems to meet rising demand for meat and crops. Unlike forests, these habitats have been underappreciated in climate and conservation policies, which helps explain why their decline has accelerated.

Two features make this loss especially consequential. First, these ecosystems are carbon‑rich: together they store a substantial share of the planet’s terrestrial carbon—up to about a third in some estimates—so their destruction can release large pulses of greenhouse gases. Second, they support disproportionate biodiversity. The study links large portions of the world’s biodiversity hotspots—roughly a third—to grassland and wetland habitats, meaning conversion reduces habitat for many species that are already vulnerable.

Key immediate implications

• Climate: Removing carbon‑rich soils and vegetation undermines efforts to limit warming, because emissions from converted grasslands and drained wetlands are not fully accounted for in many national inventories.
• Biodiversity: Species adapted to open and seasonally wet systems face rapid habitat loss and fragmentation, increasing extinction risk.
• Food systems: Agricultural expansion that drives conversion often prioritises short‑term yields over long‑term soil and water health, increasing vulnerability to drought and reducing resilience.

Addressing the trend requires policy and farming changes that value these ecosystems on par with forests. Practical measures include targeted protection and restoration of high‑carbon grasslands and wetlands, incentives for sustainable livestock and cropping practices that avoid new conversion, and more accurate accounting of carbon and biodiversity loss in national reporting. Without such shifts, the rapid disappearance of these habitats will intensify both the climate crisis and the global biodiversity shortage.